Calm Before The Storm Alt S4, Pt II
by xoemac
Summary: Can the Mall Rats unite the city in time to defeat the true Bringers of Chaos? Or will a traitor in their midsts and a rogue tribe stop them? (I suck at summeries.)
1. Chapter 1

Well here it is -- finally! The second part of my Series 4 trilogy.   
  
Due to some personal problems I haven't done much work on it for the last eight months or so. To be honest I haven't done much writing at all during that time. But now things are pretty much back to normal and my writing seems to be going a lot easier now than before. A break from evrything was just what I needed.  
  
So expect fairly regular updates here and (hopefully) on the Tribeworld board as well as some new stories that I have been toying around with.  
  
So please read and tell me what you think (Praise, flames, I take it all.) Enjoy.  
  
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Mandatory disclaimers: The characters from the Tribe are the property of Cloud 9. No infringement on anyone's rights is intended. Characters you've never heard of are my own creation and belong to me. Direct comments, praise, flames etc. to xoemac@earthlink.net.  
  
THE TRIBE: CALM BEFORE THE STORM  
  
Alternate Series 4, Part II  
  
by Xoemac  
  
PART 1  
  
Darkness, endless and cold, the swirling blackness threatened to engulf his very soul and then suddenly he was here. Wherever here is.  
  
"Where am I?" The question echoed through the deserted building. "Where am I?"  
  
"Where do you think you are?" The voice answering him seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere.  
  
The young man looked around him before answering. "It looks like a shopping mall."  
  
"Then that's where you are."  
  
"But I can't be... not after... after..."  
  
"After?"  
  
"I can't remember." He put his hands to his head. "I CAN'T REMEMBER!!!"  
  
"Calm yourself my young friend. You're tired that's all. Why don't you rest a bit." The young man moved to a stone bench nearby and lay down. "I'm sure everything will be much clearer and it will all come back to you once you wake up." He closed his eyes and was soon asleep. As he slept, a human-sized shape appeared over him. "Whether you want it to or not."  
  
*~*  
  
"Look at them." Amber said as she stood over the crib holding the two sleeping forms of her children. "They look so beautiful."  
  
"Almost as beautiful as their mother." A voice from behind said.  
  
Amber felt two strong arms wrap themselves around her waist. She sighed contentedly as she settled back into his chest and felt the warmth of his body flow into her.  
  
"Come to bed." He said. "We have a big day tomorrow."  
  
She took his hand and allowed herself to be lead back to their large bed. He pulled her into a kiss and gently laid her down beneath him. She whispered his name. "Bray…"  
  
He stopped kissing her and pulled away. Amber opened her eyes. "Bray?" She was staring into the eyes of someone she had never seen before. He was young, handsome with short spikey blond hair and he was looking at her strangely. "Who are you?" She asked him and he didn't answer. "Who are you? What have you done with Bray?"  
  
She lept from the bed and suddenly found herself standing alone near the staircase in the mall. "Bray!" She shouted. "Bray where are you?" She started running through the deserted market stalls. "BRAY!"  
  
Amber bolted upright in bed. She was breathing hard and sweat had soaked her nightshirt. She felt a hand touch her and she jumped involuntarily.  
  
"Hey it's okay. Its me." He said to her in a soothing voice.  
  
She turned to him. "Oh Bray." She threw her arms around him and held him tightly. "I thought I'd lost you."  
  
He held her close to him and rocked her gently. "I'm still here."  
  
She was sobbing. "I didn't know where you were. You were just gone. I looked all over, but I couldn't find you."  
  
"It's all right. It was just a bad dream that's all. I'm here and I'm never going to leave you."  
  
She sniffed. "Promise?"  
  
"I promise." He said. As they lay back down Bray leaned over and kissed her cheek. "Try to get some rest. We have a big day tomorrow."  
  
Amber closed her eyes but she couldn't back to sleep. She couldn't quite the thoughts in her head; she couldn't rid herself of the feeling that something bad was going to happen.  
  
*~*  
  
Several miles from the city.  
  
The wind had picked up and was blowing steadily in from the east picking up leaves from the ground and swirling them around the lone figure standing in the clearing. He had his left hand out palm up, a glowing hexagonal crystal in the center of his hand. He stared at it intensely and it glowed brighter.  
  
His mind was so occupied that he failed to notice a hooded figure moving behind him. "Phoenix." He did not respond. "Phoenix." The figure said again, a bit more forcefully this time.  
  
The crystal's glow had faded and he clasped his fingers around it and returned it to the small leather bag attached to his belt. Phoenix adjusted his hood and turned to face the other man.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"The Circle requests your... presence."  
  
Phoenix followed the other into the woods. They walked through the undergrowth for several minutes before emerging into another clearing. The area was large and open to the sky.  
  
He stood in the center of the clearing, peered up at the stars above, and remembered when he first arrived among them how he would spend hours on his back merely looking at the night sky.  
  
The one he had followed had gone, but he could sense clearly that he was not alone. Suddenly, a torch staked into the ground behind burst into flame. From there another came to life, then another, until five brightly burning torches were illuminating the entire area.  
  
As his eyes grew accustomed to the light, he noticed shapes were moving around him. Six figures dressed in long trenchcoats and hoods, not unlike his own, were moving out of the darkness and gathering around him.  
  
One of them stepped forward. He was holding an ornately carved walking stick, crowned with a clear crystal. He tapped it twice on the ground and it started to glow, while with his free hand he removed his hood.  
  
He was about eighteen or nineteen with a head of bright white hair pulled back tightly into a ponytail. He nodded to the others before speaking. "We have considered your words carefully and the Circle has made its decision."  
  
"And what is your decision Quinn?" Phoenix asked.  
  
"Although the information you bring is troubling, it does not offer sufficient reason for us to commit ourselves at this time."  
  
"Sufficient reason? The battle is coming, the Bringers of Chaos have risen, what more reason do you need?"  
  
"More than you can offer us now. The world is changing Martin, the old ways are returning and we are the chosen guardians of order in the new world. Are we to abandon those we have sworn to protect based solely on the evidence of this one incident? Ours is a responsibility we cannot shirk for the sake of one city, despite its importance."  
  
"The Healer left for less than what I offer."  
  
"Tai-San had to follow her own path. She knew from the beginning that her destiny was not with us."  
  
"So you're going to do nothing?"  
  
"We will wait and watch until the time is right."  
  
"And if the city falls in the meantime?" Phoenix waited for Quinn's answer, which didn't come. "Fine. Stay here in your precious circle of light waiting for just the right time. Just be careful you don't wait too long."  
  
Phoenix disappeared into the darkness and after he had gone the others approached Quinn, took his hand, and then walked into woods themselves until he was standing alone.  
  
He stood there, deep in thought, his chin resting on the top of his walking stick when the sound of a broken twig startled him. "You heard?"  
  
"I heard." A young man with dark skin and brown hair walked into the clearing.   
  
"I thought coming to see me like this was against the rules?" He asked smiling.  
  
"It is, but the others agreed to look the other way for awhile so I'm not actually breaking the rules, just bending them slightly." He moved to stand beside him. "I needed to warn you. The others are preparing to move."  
  
"Any idea when?"  
  
"I don't know, but it's going to be soon." Quinn sat down on a fallen tree nearby. The other came toward him. "I heard what you said to Phoenix. You made the right call. I know standing on the sidelines is the last thing you and the others want to do, but what's going to happen next has to be done by them."  
  
"I know. I remember what you said; we have one chance to free us all from this insanity. And like it or not it's not going to be us who fights this battle."   
  
"You still have important work to do when this is over. There will still be a need for order and justice in the new world however this fight turns out." The young man sudden looked up at the sky. "She's calling me, I have to go." Quinn rose and the two young men clasped hands then the other turned to leave. He walked toward the edge of the tree line, stopped, and turned around. "I'll try to see you again, before…"   
  
Quinn nodded his understanding. "Dal?" He called out before the other disappeared into the trees. "What are their chances, really?" Dal said nothing, but turned and walked away. "Yeah," Quinn whispered to himself. "That's what I thought." 


	2. chapter 2

PART 2  
  
The sun has been up for nearly two hours and while the rest of the city slowly came to life, the Mall has been bustling with activity since before dawn. The day's chores and assignments had been handed out and Alice and Ellie were clearing away the last breakfast dishes when two stragglers came walking in.  
  
"Please tell me you have some coffee."  
  
"I'll brew some just for you." Alice laughed as she watched a very tired looking Jason and Cloe sit down at one of the tables. "You both look like you could use it."  
  
Jason smiled as Cloe made a yuck face. "You don't need any anyway, it'll stunt your growth." Cloe tried not to laugh as he ruffled her hair.  
  
"Have you two been out all night again?" Ellie asked.  
  
Alice returned and placed a cup in front of him. "Bless you."  
  
She smiled at him. "What is that smell?"   
  
Jason tapped Cloe on the shoulder and she picked up a small bag and handed it to him. "That smell is our payment for last night." Jason reached into the bag and pulled out five very large fish. "I'm not quite sure what kind they are but they're a little gift from the Gulls and their newest 7 pound, 5 ounce member."  
  
"You delivered a baby last night?"  
  
He handed the fish to Alice who took them into the kitchen. "Among other things. Believe me after some of the nights I've had the last few weeks I'll take eleven hours of labor anytime." He yawned.  
  
"Tired?"  
  
He nodded. "I don't know how much longer I can keep going like this."  
  
Alice came back. "It sure didn't take long for word to spread that there was a real doctor in the house."  
  
"I've lost count of how many cut and scrapes I've looked at or how many broken bones I've set. And just to break up the monotony there's always the odd stabbing or gunshot to deal with." Jason felt Cloe slump into him. "Hey kiddo."  
  
"Hmmmm?" Cloe said groggily.  
  
"Why don't you go upstairs and get some sleep?"  
  
"What if you need me?"  
  
"I'll come and get you. But the shape you're in now, you're no good to me. Go up to your room and get some sleep." He beeped her nose. "Doctor's orders."  
  
She smiled at him. "Okay Doc." She got and started to walk away. "You will get me if you need me."  
  
"Go. Bed. Now." He said pointing in the direction of her room. Ellie and Alice were both laughing to themselves as their young friend walked away.   
  
"She's a good kid." He took a sip of his coffee. "Did Bray and the others get off to the meeting okay?"  
  
"They left just before you got back." Ellie answered.  
  
"I wish them luck. If the setup for this thing is any indication they're gonna need it."  
  
"You're not going?" Alice asked.  
  
Jason shook his head no. "We talked about it. It might be best if I stayed out of city politics. Kay's appearance and mine has already had a pretty disrupting effect without the added inference that an adult is behind the Mall Rats pulling the strings. This little alliance is going to be fragile enough the last thing anyone wants to do is inflame the radicals."  
  
Alice nodded her head in agreement. "Makes sense."  
  
*~*  
  
For many years, the Ambassador Hotel was widely known as being one of the finest first class hotels in the city. That was before the virus of course. Now it, like many other buildings had fallen into disrepair although this one was far more livable than most.  
  
Despite much of the lobby being destroyed by the Locos during their reign of terror at the beginning, all of the upper floors and many of the grand ballrooms remained untouched. When the Locos faded into the background of city politics following Zoot's death and Ebony's defacto-defection to the Mall Rats, the Ambassador had for the most part remained unused and abandoned.  
  
That's why it was chosen for this all-important first meeting of the new city council. In the ever-shifting landscape of tribal territories it stood, for the moment anyway, on neutral ground between several of the largest tribes.  
  
For the better part of a week, Ebony has had her men cleaning up and preparing the main ballroom for the meeting. Several large conference tables were placed in a triangle shape in the center of the room and while her men made their finishing touches on the meeting room Ebony was busy herself in another part of the hotel.  
  
"What do you think you're doing?"  
  
Danni stood in the doorway of the old exercise room of the Ambassador Hotel. She was watching as Ebony punched and kicked the weight bag in front of her.  
  
"What does it look like I'm doing?" Ebony said as she spun around and kicked the bag once last time. "What are you doing?" She asked as one of her bodyguards handed her a towel.  
  
"I've been looking for you. In case you've forgotten we have a meeting with all the Tribes this morning and Bray thinks there are some things we need to go over before everyone arrives."  
  
"Oh well, if Bray thinks we need to talk then we'd better go." She tossed the towel to her guard and brushed past Danni.  
  
"Aren't you going to change?"  
  
Ebony stopped and looked down at her clothes, a matching pair of red shorts and sports bra. "You don't like what I'm wearing?"  
  
"Yes... No... I mean..." Danni inhaled sharply. "I mean don't you think you should put on something more appropriate, for the leader of the City Council."  
  
Ebony almost laughed. "Fine."  
  
She left and Danni followed her through the hotel to an elevator where another of her guards was standing. He pushed a button and the doors slid opened. Ebony walked in with Danni close behind.  
  
After the doors closed Ebony pushed the button marked 'P' and the elevator started to rise to the top of the six-story building. Danni just looked at Ebony.  
  
"Solar panels on the roof for emergency power." Ebony said answering Danni's unasked question. "I had Jack make a few changes to the system."  
  
"So that's what Jack's been doing for the last week."  
  
Danni and some of the other Mall Rats had been wondering what was going on with Jack. For days he was up before dawn and not back until after dark with the only explanation for his comings and goings being a special assignment for Ebony.  
  
A few seconds later the doors slid open again. As Danni walked into the penthouse suite, she got a good look around. "Moving in I see." She said noticing some unopened boxes on the floor.  
  
"If this place is going to be our new council chambers shouldn't the elected leader of the city have a place nearby?" Ebony said walking to the master bedroom.  
  
"And I suppose the fact this is one of the few places with it's own power supply and running water had nothing to do with it?"  
  
"Well..." Ebony returned wearing only a towel wrapped around her. "It had a little to do with it."  
  
Danni was staring at Ebony. She looked so different now. With her makeup gone and her hair unbraided she looked like a different person, she almost looked like....  
  
"Danni?" Ebony interrupted her thoughts.  
  
"What?"  
  
"What are you staring at?"  
  
"Your legs." She coughed. "Your leg. It's bleeding again."  
  
Ebony looked down at her wrapped right knee. "Damn."  
  
"Let me look at it." Danni knelt down before Ebony and unwrapped her leg.   
  
"Will I live?"  
  
Danni smiled at her. "I think so." Danni pressed the bandage to Ebony's wound again and lifted up. "There it's stopped bleeding. I'll find something to wrap it up with then after the meeting I'll have Uncle Jason come by and check it out."  
  
Ebony sighed. "Great another one of Doc's lectures about taking care of myself."  
  
"Uncle Jason just wants you to take it easy, it'll be a while before you can start giving your leg the punishment it's used to." Danni found a pillowcase, which she tore up into strips and preceded to wrap them around Ebony's leg. "This ought to do until after the meeting."  
  
"Thanks."  
  
"My pleasure."  
  
*~*  
  
One of the most popular places to go in the city after dark is a little place just inside Sector 8 called Chances. Certainly not the first gambling establishment to spring up, but definitely one of the best boasting honest games (for the most part), beautiful girls (for the right price), real liquor (if you can call something made in a bathtub in back real) and the best night out you'll ever have (unless you lose big to the house that is.)  
  
The beautiful owner of the place, a petite girl of about 15 or 16 with green hair and eyes named Topaz, is always there to welcome anyone and everyone with a smile on her face. But that smile is only a front because she knows there's a little secret to Chances that few others know and those that do will not speak of. It's the secret of who actually runs Chances.  
  
There couldn't be a more unholy alliance of two people in this world she often thought to herself. They were upstairs right now and Topaz didn't like to think about what they were doing together. Not if she wanted to keep her breakfast down.  
  
"You're really going to attend this farce of a meeting?" The young man said as he lay in bed.  
  
"Of course." The girl said as she zipped up her black boots. Sitting at a dressing table she turned and looked at her reflection and smiled at herself.   
  
"Why?"  
  
"I want to see who's there." She rose and straightening her short black mini skirt she looked down at the man in her bed. "And because I want to know just how far they'll go for this precious peace of theirs."  
  
"What do you hope to get from this?"  
  
"Everything I can and more."  
  
"You're playing a dangerous game Dreama."  
  
"Dangerous games are the only ones worth playing. I'll go along with this city council garbage till I've learned all that I can about the Mall Rats and their plans."  
  
"And then?"  
  
"Then I'll use it to crush them once and for all. Then the Locos, my Locos, will be back in power where they belong."  
  
"And what about me?"  
  
"You? You're exile will finally be over."  
  
"That's not what I meant."  
  
"I know what you meant and don't worry, you'll have your revenge I promise you."  
  
"I had better. I've waited so long to pay them all back for what they had done to us."  
  
"Just remember the Mall Rats are yours, but Ebony is mine."  
  
"Of course Dreama."  
  
She turned to leave but stopped at the door. "Oh, and Tophat... make sure no one sees you when you leave." 


End file.
